Rabbi Ovadia Yosef was a גדול בדור - a great man of his generation.
Even if you disagree with him, it has to be admitted that he has been for many years a leader to many Mizrachi Jews.
Not so much for Sefardi/North African Jews; indeed, there is a book דברי שלום ואמת that basically starts off every topic with "Rav Ovadia says … and our tradition is …" and then sites the reason for the North African tradition.
But, the former Hakham Bakshe or Chief Sefardi Rabbi of Israel, now is proving that it's time to retire, a role the State's president also ought to consider for the same reason.
Both Ovadia and Peres are making statements that do not become a person for their (former) stature.
Ovadia's political slander borders on the obscene and certainly is not acceptable - calling fellow Jews "goyim" in the modern sense and now calling another a "scoundrel."
In the run-up to the elections in Israel, Ovadia called members of the Jewish Home (בית יהודי) party "goyim" and now, post-election, he is referring to the There Is A Future (יש עתיד) party leader Yair Lapid an "evil man" if an article in The Jewish Press (http://tinyurl.com/aq8kw29) can be believed.
Ovadia is to be commended for pushing for Sefardi/Mizrachi yeshivot in Israel; until the first of these yeshivot were established, all rabbinical want-to-be's had to go to Ashkenazi yeshivot. As most Jews now understand, there ARE different approaches to halacha. the most blatantly obvious appear at Pesach when some eat legumes (kitniyot) and others avoid them. (Less obvious, but of concern for the Sefardi diner is the Ashkenazi acceptance that as long as a Jew lights the fire, the rest of the meal can be prepared by a non-Jew whereas Sephardi Jews require a Jew to be involved in the food's actual preparation.)
The fact that Ovadia's followers now dress and act like Litvaks in their fedoras and black suits is minimally irksome. Don't misunderstand; that's fine for Likvaks, but not for Sefardim or even Mizrachim.
Ovadia does, on occasion, offer a decision that makes since in light of our times. But his political comments and decisions are, at least in my opinion, detracting from what once was greatness.
He and Peres need to retire to their rocking chairs and tell stories to their grandchildren. Failing that, the rabbi's reputation is in increasing jeopardy.
